Page:VCH Rutland 1.djvu/265

POLITICAL HISTORY direct ' — an arrangement which resulted in the return of Thomas Noel and Thomas Chambers Cecil in the following April/*" Another old family whose political influence lasted into the i8th century was that of the Mackworths of Normanton. Sir Thomas Mackworth was one of the knights of the shire in all Parliaments from 1679 to the time of his decease in 1694,"^ when he was succeeded by his son — also Sir Thomas — who also sat from 1701 to 1707 and from 1721 to 1727. In the election of 1722, which was strongly contested, he headed the poll against Mr. Sherard, who was defeated, and Lord Finch. ^'* Daniel, Lord Finch, the eldest son of the second Earl of Nottingham, who had been previously returned as Tory member for the county in 17 10, when he was only twenty-one years of age, with Richard Halford, was perhaps the most notable of the Rutland members.^ He was returned again, with Bennet, Lord Sherard, in 171 3 ; with John Noel, after taking office under the Crown, in 1715 ; with Sir Thomas Mackworth in 1722; was re-elected on again taking office in 1725; was again returned, with John Noel in 1727; and only ceased to be a member on succeeding to the earldom in 1729.^°" As Earl of Winchilsea and Nottingham he held office under several administrations, and his ' whole conduct ' while at the Admiralty is said by Lord Waldegrave ^"^ to have been ' so unexceptionable that faction itself was obliged to be silent.' He resigned his last cabinet office, the presidency of the council, in 1766, three years before his death, at the age of eighty-one, and about half a century after the commencement of a career which, to quote Lord Mahon, ' though not illustrious, was long, useful, and honourable. ^"^ Owing probably to its being an entirely agricultural county, Rutland seems to have been little affected either by the Luddite riots in the neigh- bouring counties of Leicester and Nottingham in 181 1 and 18 16, or by the Chartist Movement some thirty years later, the only incident con- "' Hist. MSS. Com. Rep. xii, App. v, 246 ; cf. Ret. ofMemb. of Pari. '" Except the first meeting of the Parliament of 1679 (see above), and the Oxford Parliament of 168 1, which sat for only seven days ; Ret. ofMemb. of Pari. ^^ Ret. ofMemb. of Pari. "' Pearl Finch, Hist. Burley on the Hill, 275. The foUovi^ing entries from the account of his election expenses are of interest : — L s. d. £ s. d. The Bell-man 260 Mr. Allen for entertainment at the elec- The Drums 1090 tion 0150 Pinister's son, drummer 260 Ditto for horse hire 1000 Mr. Champenote for taking the Poll ..230 Paid to Mr. Ridley for the Under Sheriff For ten Ordinaries at the Bull ....150 for returning Lord Finch ...230 »»° Hist. Burley on the Hill, 276. "" Mem. 139. '"'"- Lord Mahon, Hist, of Engl. (ed. 3), i, 67-8 ; cf. Hist. Burley on the Hill, 276-7. Lord Mahon {Hist, i, 67-8) gives an interesting account of Lord Finch's maiden speech during a violent debate respecting the suppression of seditious papers, originated by a pamphlet denouncing the Treaty of Utrecht called 'The Crisis,' which, though really the work of Swift, was supposed to have been written by Steele. Lord Finch being under obligations to him for refuting a libel on his sister was anxious to speak in Steele's defence. After one or two attempts, however, he was overcome by the bashfulness which is so often felt in first addressing the House, and resumed his seat in some confusion, saying : ' It is strange that I cannot speak for this man, though I would readily fight for him.' These words produced a general feeling in his favour, which called forth ringing cheers of encouragement from the House, and Lord Finch, rising a second time, delivered a speech which Lord Mahon describes as ' fraught with high public spirit and natural eloquence.' ' We may,' he said, when dealing with the Peace of Utrecht, ' give it all the fine epithets we please, but epithets do not change the nature of things. We may, if we please, call it honourable ; but I am sure it is accounted scandalous in Holland, Germany, Portugal, and over all Europe except France and Spain. We may call it advantageous ; it must be so to the ministers that made it.' 205